These Wilder Years

James Cagney stars in this story about a middle-aged tycoon who is looking for the son he gave up for adoption decades before. Barbara Stanwyck plays the woman who runs the orphanage he left the baby at. She won't help him because of legal and ethical issues regarding the child's privacy. Decent picture with solid acting from the leads. I appreciate the story, which seems ahead of its time with its frank depiction of adoption issues and out-of-wedlock pregnancies. I also appreciate that they didn't go the romance route with Cagney and Stanwyck. The stars don't turn in the best performances of their careers but they're both good. Fine support from Betty Lou Klein, Don Dubbins, and Walter Pidgeon. It's one of those sober low-key dramas that there were so many of in the 1950s. They were often good but lacking a little punch, you know. That's the case here. It's a fine movie but needs to pick up the pace a little and maybe add more spark to the plot.